Meet Me at the Museum: A Novel (Hardcover)

August 2018 Indie Next List

“This charming novel is told entirely in correspondence between Tina, a woman of a certain age in England who is questioning her place in the world after her best friend’s death, and Kristian, a Danish museum curator who is adrift after the death of his wife. As their correspondence evolves and their friendship develops, they realize that the world may have more to offer than they initially thought. Meet Me at the Museum is sweet without being cloying, gentle without insulting the reader’s intelligence, and a completely enjoyable read.”
— Carol Schneck Varner, Schuler Books, Okemos, MI

Description

Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award“The charmer of the summer.”—NPR “Warm-hearted, clear-minded, and unexpectedly spellbinding, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to savor.” —Annie Barrows, co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

In Denmark, Professor Anders Larsen, an urbane man of facts, has lost his wife and his hopes for the future. On an isolated English farm, Tina Hopgood is trapped in a life she doesn’t remember choosing. Both believe their love stories are over.

Brought together by a shared fascination with the Tollund Man, subject of Seamus Heaney’s famous poem, they begin writing letters to one another. And from their vastly different worlds, they find they have more in common than they could have imagined. As they open up to one another about their lives, an unexpected friendship blooms. But then Tina’s letters stop coming, and Anders is thrown into despair. How far are they willing to go to write a new story for themselves?

About the Author

Anne Youngson is retired and lives in Oxfordshire. She has two children and three grandchildren to date. Meet Me at the Museum is her first novel and was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award.

Praise For…

Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel AwardAn Indie Next and LibraryReads Selection

“The charmer of the summer…A touching, hopeful story about figuring out what matters and mustering the courage to make necessary changes.”—NPR

“How subtle. How perceptive…Meet Me at the Museum is gently provoking, delving into how we interact with our children, our spouses, our communities, but mostly with ourselves.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune“A farmer’s wife and a museum curator begin a life-changing correspondence in this lovely book by Anne Youngson, a first-time novelist at age 70.”—Woman’s Day (Editor’s Choice)

"A beautiful, moving, and utterly mesmerizing tale about life, love, and starting over, Meet Me at the Museum will make even the most cynical listeners believe in second chances."—Bustle

“Beautifully written and deeply moving, Meet Me at the Museum is a superb—and tenderhearted—debut that will interest anyone who's ever questioned how they became the person they are today.”—Shelf Awareness

“This sweet novel, which unfolds through a series of letters, is a short but spellbinding story of life and friendship.”—Hello Giggles

“A thoughtful meditation on buried passions, regrets, love, grief, and loneliness. But Youngson’s debut offers hope for change in its tender exploration of what it means to have experienced a life well-lived.”—The Guardian

“Already being hailed as a classic…Absolutely beautiful, about loss and the life choices we make.”—Daily Mail“Warm-hearted, clear-minded, and unexpectedly spellbinding, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to savor.” —Annie Barrows, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

"Precise, clear, funny, poignant, and truthful. This is a work of art, dear readers. Revel in its beauty.”—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife and Lucia, Lucia

“A moving tribute to friendship and love, to the courage of the ordinary, and to starting again.”—Rachel Joyce, New York Times bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry“Exquisite. Its characters somehow resist following their story and reverse themselves into a new one. A beautiful, lasting read.” —James Hannah, author of The A to Z of You and Me “Tender, wise, and moving, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to cherish.”—John Boyne, New York Times bestselling author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

“A wise and tender novel. Proof that the richest fruits come on the edge of autumn.”—Sarah Dunant, New York Times bestselling author of The Birth of Venus“Intriguing and compelling, Meet Me at the Museum invites you into the meeting place between two people, imparting wisdom, thought, and endless charm.”—Jennifer Ryan, bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir

“A beautiful, affecting novel of late love.”—Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina“Readers are sure to love this wise and witty debut that celebrates the art of letter writing and the kindness of strangers.”—Phaedra Patrick, author of The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

“Full of grace and humanity.”—Sunday Times

“If you only read one book this year, read this. Highly recommended.”—Mature Times